Why Does My Baby Always Look To One Side?

If you notice your baby is always looking to one side, either the right or the left, there are a couple things it could be…
 
The two main causes of this in babies is either torticollis or a "turn preference". Torticollis is when your little one tilts their head and/or their body in one direction and turns it in the opposite direction. Typically, these babies have difficulty turning their head to the other side and, if you turn it that way for them, they don't like to keep it there. With a "turn preference", there may not be an obvious tilting component like there is with torticollis and it may seem like your little one is able to turn in the other direction, they just don't like to. This is a little misleading though, because the root cause is usually more than just a preference. Typically, these kiddos also have tension throughout their whole bodies, however they are better able to compensate for the tension by twisting or tilting their body to "cheat" when they turn to the harder side. 

How can I tell which one it is?
A physical therapy evaluation is the best way to determine what's going on in your baby's body. But here's a little test you can try in the meantime: With your baby lying on his/her back, hold a toy up above their face and make sure they’re looking at it. Notice if your baby's head is straight when they're looking at you or if its slightly tilted bringing one ear closer to that shoulder. Then, slowly move the toy to the side they DON’T like to look towards. Picture the toy moving in a rainbow shape (start at the top/middle of the arc and move over and down until the toy lands on the floor). While you do this, gently hold their opposite shoulder down towards the floor so they can’t cheat by turning their whole body (if moving toy to the right, hold their left shoulder down. If moving toy toward to left, hold their right shoulder down).  If your baby can’t follow the toy in a smooth and continuous way with his/her eyes and head, it may mean your little one has torticollis (don’t worry, it’s totally fixable!!). If your little one can turn to the harder side but you can see or feel them moving their body around to help them, it may be a turn preference (also treatable!).
 
What causes these things?
Both a turn preference and torticollis can be caused by your baby’s position in your uterus.  They can also happen if a baby is always held in the same position with their head turned one way, if they spend a lot of time in swings or bouncers that don’t allow them to freely move their head, or if they’re always turning in one direction to look at you or their toys throughout the day. 
 
Is it a big deal?
            Both turn preferences and torticollis can lead to:

• Breastfeeding issues – a baby may prefer one breast over the other if they can only turn their head in one direction
• Milestone delays – a baby may only roll in one direction or reach with one arm more often if they’re always looking to one side. This can lead to one side of their body being stronger than the other which makes sitting, crawling, standing and walking more difficult
• Brain development – if a baby is paying more attention to one side of their world compared to the other, it will shape the way their brain developments in regards to their sensory processing, coordination, vision, balance and more
•  Flat head spots – if a baby is always looking to one side, that side of their head can become flat. This can lead to bulging on one side of their forehead and/or facial asymmetry

 
What should I do?
The great news is, whether it’s a turn preference or torticollis, this can be fixed with specialized physical therapy.  Especially if it's caught and addressed early on!! It's important to know that treatment for either issue involves more than just neck stretches! As I’ve mentioned, these problems can affect every system in the body (vision, sensory, coordination, strength, flexibility, reflexes, balance) so it’s important to address every system in your treatment plan. A generalized list of stretches from the Internet isn’t going to cut it, unfortunately!
 
If you're looking to prevent this issue, or any future physical developmental issues, I highly recommend checking out the Baby Blueprint course. This expertly-crafted course covers a wide range of techniques and exercises to address these issues and support your baby's development. To learn more about the course and how to enroll, visit the Baby Blueprint course page here.

If you're looking for a comprehensive solution to help your baby overcome a turn preference or torticollis, please don’t hesitate to reach out via the contact form on my website, phone, or email!

With love,
Dr. Marissa Aron PT, DPT
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​561-285-2833
​[email protected]